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The funny thing about rock bottom is you never quite know you're there -- because sometimes it can seem like you can go lower.

That said, Thursday night was as close as we've seen for the Reds this season.

Josh Collmenter is an interesting pitcher -- he has a deceptive motion that came from throwing tomahawks, and it can be something different for batters who haven't seen him before and especially tough on right-handed hitters.

That said, he should face just 27 batters in his first-ever complete game.

This is a team built on optimism and the hope that everything would go right -- and it certainly hasn't. Of the hopes this season were built upon, about the only one that has come to fruition is that Johnny Cueto would be healthy and resemble the Cueto of old. He's done that and more. There's been one surprise -- which is Alfredo Simon's performance as a starter. But after that, every other "if" has gone the other way -- Mat Latos' return, Tony Cingrani's development as a steady member of the rotation (although that's been close), Billy Hamilton getting off to a fast start (he's been better, but still), Ryan Ludwick returning to second-half of 2012 form (nope), Brandon Phillips bouncing back (his average is up, but his OBP is down and slugging is around where it was last year, for a lower OPS) and Jay Bruce taking the next step (he's been bad when active). And that does't even take into account the perceived strength of the bullpen being a burden.

Almost getting no-hit by Hyun-Jin Ryu isn't good, but it's understandable. Getting dominated by Collmenter? That could be rock bottom. Or at least the Reds hope it is, because going lower would be really bad.

MINOR LEAGUE ROUNDUP

Triple-A -- Louisville 6, Scranton/WB 5: RF Felix Perez hit a two-run homer in the first and was 2 for 2 with three runs scored. RHP Chien-Ming Wang's scoreless streak ended at 16.2 innings, when he gave up three runs in the seventh. He walked one and struck out one, allowing four hits in 6.2 innings. [Box]

High-A -- Bakersfield 5, Visalia 0: LHP Wandy Peralta allowed just two hits and a walk over seven scoreless. He struck out six.Jesse Winker hit his sixth homer of the season, and C David Vidal was 3 for 4. CF Beau AMaral drove in two with a double and sac fly. [Box]

Low-A -- West Michigan 4, Dayton 2: LHP Ismael Guillon gave up two runs on six hits and two walks over seven innings, striking out seven. He picked up a no decision. C Joe Hudson hit his second homer of the season. [Box]

LINKS AND SUCH

Come out Monday for the C Dot Show, where we'll be joined by my friend and big-time national radio host Mo Egger at MOTR Pub. We'll have an autographed baseball to give away (and it won't be autographed by Mo, Josh Sneed or me), I know we have two different ones to chose from, but both are players with NL MVP trophies at home, so it's definitely worth your while.

• Edwin Encarnacion hit his 16th homer of May -- that's two fewer than all of the Reds combined -- on Thursday. While it's a convenient and easy topic to ask if the Reds made a mistake, I don't think anyone could have seen this coming. Yes, he had talent, but like Jose Bautista, the guy had his chances here and other places and never quite figured it out. And let's not forget the Blue Jays waived him after the 2010 season, he was claimed by the A's and then he was non-tendered by the A's, when the Blue Jays re-signed him.

Maybe there's something in that Canadian water, because in addition to Bautista and Encarnacion, Juan Francisco has had a nice run with the Blue Jays. Of course, the Reds weren't the only team to give up on Francisco, the Braves traded him to Milwaukee last year and the Brewer released him this spring.

When it comes to Encarancion, the fact that he's been able to DH instead of continue his attempts at third base may have helped, as well as the ability to play first base, where he wasn't going to unseat Joey Votto.

• Grantland reacted to their own 30 for 30 of Posterized (well worth watching, and good for Shawn Bradley) with some of their top basketball posters. I don't know if I ever had a basketball poster, I was never a big basketball guy -- but man, did I have some baseball posters.

Here's some of the posters I had as a kid:

And then there's the Sports Illustrated posters that the magazine would advertise in the back. I always checked off the ones I wanted, but not sure I ever got any of them. My mom hated posters and because my dad was in the Navy, we moved a lot and she was against putting holes in walls that weren't ours.